Deferasirox

Patients who receive a large number of blood transfusions may develop a problem in which they have too much iron in their blood. Deferasirox is an iron chelator; this medication works by pulling iron out of the bloodstream so that it is excreted when the patient uses the bathroom.

Warnings/Side Effects

Patients who suffer from liver or kidney disease should not take this medication. Deferasirox makes it more likely that a patient will have a liver or kidney problem. Patients should contact their doctors right away if they have any of the following problems:

• Extreme fatigue
• Severe pain in the stomach or lower back
• Changes in urination frequency or difficulty urinating
• Black, tarry stools or brown urine
• Jaundice

Patients should also refrain from taking aspirin or other blood-thinning medications with Deferasirox in order to reduce the risk of excessive bleeding or internal bleeding in the stomach or intestines.